Whistling Sam Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDD AAEE DDFFAACC GGAAFHII JJGGGKLBDD| I has hyeahd o' people dancin' an' I 's hyeahd o' people singin' | A |
| An' I 's been 'roun' lots of othahs dat could keep de banjo ringin' | A |
| But of all de whistlin' da'kies dat have lived an' died since Ham | B |
| De whistlin'est I evah seed was ol' Ike Bates's Sam | B |
| In de kitchen er de stable in de fiel' er mowin' hay | C |
| You could hyeah dat boy a whistlin' pu'ty nigh a mile erway | C |
| Puck'rin' up his ugly features 'twell you could n't see his eyes | D |
| Den you 'd hyeah a soun' lak dis un f'om dat awful puckah rise | D |
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| When dey had revival meetin' an' de Lawd's good grace was flowin' | A |
| On de groun' dat needed wat'rin' whaih de seeds of good was growin' | A |
| While de othahs was a singin' an' a shoutin' right an' lef | E |
| You could hyeah dat boy a whistlin' kin' o' sof beneaf his bref | E |
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| At de call fu' colo'ed soldiers Sam enlisted 'mong de res' | D |
| Wid de blue o' Gawd's great ahmy wropped about his swellin' breas' | D |
| An' he laffed an' whistled loudah in his youfful joy an' glee | F |
| Dat de govament would let him he'p to mek his people free | F |
| Daih was lots o' ties to bin' him pappy mammy an' his Dinah | A |
| Dinah min' you was his sweet hea't an' dey was n't nary finah | A |
| But he lef 'em all I tell you lak a king he ma'ched away | C |
| Try'n' his level bes' to whistle happy solemn choky gay | C |
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| To de front he went an' bravely fought de foe an' kep' his sperrit | G |
| An' his comerds said his whistle made 'em strong when dey could hyeah it | G |
| When a saber er a bullet cut some frien' o' his'n down | A |
| An' de time 'u'd come to trench him an' de boys 'u'd gethah 'roun' | A |
| An' dey could n't sta't a hymn tune mebbe none o' dem 'u'd keer | F |
| Sam 'u'd whistle Sleep in Jesus an' he knowed de Mastah 'd hyeah | H |
| In de camp all sad discouraged he would cheer de hea'ts of all | I |
| When above de soun' of labour dey could hyeah his whistle call | I |
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| When de cruel wah was ovah an' de boys come ma'chin' back | J |
| Dey was shouts an' cries an' blessin's all erlong dey happy track | J |
| An' de da'kies all was happy souls an' bodies bofe was freed | G |
| Why hit seemed lak de Redeemah mus' 'a' been on earf indeed | G |
| Dey was gethahed all one evenin' jes' befo' de cabin do' | G |
| When dey hyeahd somebody whistlin' kin' o' sof' an' sweet an' low | K |
| Dey could n't see de whistlah but de hymn was cleah and ca'm | L |
| An' dey all stood daih a listenin' ontwell Dinah shouted Sam | B |
| An' dey seed a little da'ky way off yandah thoo de trees | D |
| Wid his face all in a puckah mekin' jes' sich soun's ez dese | D |
Paul Laurence Dunbar
(1)
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About Whistling Sam
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